2021 is about to end and this is the time to look back on the year and list all of the best HBO Max original shows of this year. This was a great year for HBO Max shows, as there were so many shows and almost all of them were brilliant. The shows on this list are not ranked.
Gossip Girl
Synopsis: Nearly a decade after the original Gossip Girl’s website went dark, a new generation of Upper East Side private school teens are introduced to the unforgiving and transformative reality of nonstop social surveillance. Diving back into the scandalous lives of Manhattan’s elite, this extension of the pop culture classic explores just how much social media – and the landscape of New York City itself – has evolved since we last dished on the Met steps. But while the times may have changed, the drama is richer than ever.
Made for Love
Synopsis: Made for Love is a darkly absurd and cynically poignant story of love and divorce. It follows Hazel Green (Cristin Milioti), a thirty-something woman on the run after 10 years in a suffocating marriage to Byron Gogol (Billy Magnussen), a controlling tech billionaire. Soon she discovers that her husband has implanted a monitoring device – the Made for Love chip – in her brain, allowing him to track her, watch her, and know her “emotional data” as she tries to regain her independence. Through the chip, Byron’s able to watch Hazel’s every move as she flees to her desert hometown to take refuge with her aging widower father Herbert (Ray Romano) and his synthetic partner, Diane.
Hacks
Synopsis: Peter, Katy, and Katy’s son John, are driving back to Britain from their summer abroad. When the family arrives home, Peter discovers a surprise in the trunk of their car: Sami, a Syrian refugee. At first, Peter turns Sami away, but gradually the family welcomes him into their lives and help him find his wife and child.
The Sex Lives of College Girls
Synopsis: Created by Emmy®-nominated writer/producer Mindy Kaling and Justin Noble, The Sex Lives of College Girls follows four college roommates as they arrive at New England’s prestigious Essex College. A bundle of contradictions and hormones, these girls are equal parts lovable and infuriating as they live out their new, free lives on campus.
Generation
Synopsis: Genera+ion is a dark yet playful half-hour following a group of high school students whose exploration of modern sexuality (devices and all) tests deeply entrenched beliefs about life, love and the nature of family in their conservative community. The ensemble cast includes Chloe East, Chase Sui Wonders, Haley Sanchez, Lukita Maxwell, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Nathanya Alexander, Nava Mau and Uly Schlesinger with Justice Smith and Martha Plimpton.
Close Enough Season 2
Synopsis: From Emmy® winning creator JG Quintel (“Regular Show”) comes season two of CLOSE ENOUGH, the animated comedy about a married couple, their five-year-old daughter, and their divorced best friends all living together on the east-side of Los Angeles. Season two has Josh, Emily and the gang continuing to navigate adulthood while contending with haunted couches, bulbous horses, time-travelling whiskeys, and a literal houseguest from hell — all in their very own apartment.
Doom Patrol Season 3
Synopsis: Doom Patrol reimagines one of DC’s most beloved groups of superheroes: Robotman aka Cliff Steele (Brendan Fraser), Negative Man aka Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), Elasti-Woman aka Rita Farr (April Bowlby), Crazy Jane (Diane Guerrero) and Cyborg aka Victor Stone (Joivan Wade), all led by modern-day mad scientist Niles Caulder aka The Chief (Timothy Dalton). Each member of the Doom Patrol suffered a horrible accident that gave them superhuman abilities, but also left them scarred and disfigured. Part support group, part superhero team, the Doom Patrol is a band of super-powered freaks who fight for a world that wants nothing to do with them.
The Other Two Season 2
Synopsis: Synopsis: The Other Two is created, written and executive produced by former SNL co-head writers Chris Kelly and Sarah Schneider and stars Drew Tarver (“Bajillion Dollar Propertie$”), Heléne Yorke (“HBO’s High Maintenance,” “Masters of Sex”), Case Walker, Ken Marino (“Party Down”) and Molly Shannon (HBO’s “The White Lotus,” “Divorce”). With their pop star brother, ChaseDreams (Case Walker), officially entering retirement at the ripe old age of fourteen, Brooke and Cary (Heléne Yorke and Drew Tarver) must now contend with a new famous family member: their 53-year-old mother Pat (Molly Shannon), and her eponymous daytime talk show. Humiliated at being The Other Two yet again, they double down and make it their mission not to be.
Infinity Train Season 4
Synopsis: In Book 4, Min-Gi and Ryan are childhood best friends who dream of performing in a band and traveling across Canada together. After a sudden falling out splits them apart, both find themselves aboard the mysterious Infinity Train. Lost and confused, they meet Kez, a free-spirited concierge bell, who accompanies them on their journey. As tensions rise and old wounds come to light, both Min-Gi and Ryan must decide if they can work together or else risk losing themselves forever aboard the Infinity Train.
South Side Season 2
Synopsis: SOUTH SIDE follows two friends, Simon and Kareme, who just graduated from community college and are ready to take over the world. But until they do, they’re stuck working at Rent-T-Own. Shot on location in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, season two reintroduces the hilarious exploits of these adventure capitalists while authentically showcasing the vibrant city life and dynamic cast of characters of the titular neighborhood.
Tig n’ Seek Season 3
Synopsis: In season three of Tig n’ Seek, Tiggy and Gweeseek break new ground when they take on a backyard camping expedition, suspect an alien invasion, encounter unruly toddlers, and match wits with a master thief.
Love Life Season 2
Synopsis: This romantic comedy series tracks Darby Carter across her twenties as she navigates work and romance in New York City, often with the insecurities of youth bubbling to the surface. We first meet Darby in 2012 as an NYU grad living with three roommates: impulsive best friend Sara, Sara’s easy-going boyfriend Jim, and brutally honest friend Mallory. Following Darby over the next several years, Love Life shows how each of Darby’s encounters brings her closer to finding her “person”, even if she doesn’t know it yet.
It’s A Sin
Synopsis: 1981, and a gang of friends move in together, in the heart of London. As the decade unfolds, we follow their hopes and dreams, highs and lows, all coming out and coming of age. But a terrible new virus is on the rise, and they’ll need each other more than ever as the fight begins.
This concludes the list of the best 13 HBO Max original shows of 2021. So, if you have watched them tell us in the comments and we will make a new list for you, and if you haven’t what are you waiting for.
